26 Candidates Score Perfect 100 NTA Score In JEE-Main, Kabir Chhillar Tops Exam
Five candidates each are from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana followed by four from Rajasthan, three from Delhi and two each from Maharashtra and Haryana.
Published : April 20, 2026 at 2:15 PM IST
|Updated : April 20, 2026 at 10:07 PM IST
New Delhi: As many as 26 candidates have scored a perfect 100 NTA score in the JEE-Main examination the results of which were announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday. Kabir Chhillar from Rajasthan's Kota topped the exam.
As many as 24 candidates had achieved the feat in 2025. While over 13 lakh candidates had appeared in the first edition of the crucial exam in January, more than 10 lakh candidates had appeared in the second edition in April. Over eight lakh common candidates appeared in both sessions.
Among the candidates who have secured an NTA score of 100, five each are from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana followed by four from Rajasthan, three from Delhi and two each from Maharashtra and Haryana. One candidate each from Chandigarh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Gujarat have achieved the feat. All 26 candidates are male.
According to officials, the NTA score is not the same as the percentage of marks obtained but normalised scores.
"The NTA scores are normalised scores across multi-shift papers and are based on the relative performance of all those who appeared for the examination in one shift. The marks obtained are transformed into a scale ranging from 100 to 0 for each shift of examinees. "The NTA score is not the same as the percentage of marks obtained," a senior official explained.
The rankings will determine eligibility for JEE Advanced, with the top 2.5 lakh candidates qualifying for the JEE-Advanced, while the rest can secure admissions to National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and Government Funded Technical Institutions (GFTIs).
A major development this year is the potential for multiple AIR 1 holders. Kabir Chhillar, a Gurugram-based student preparing in Kota, Rajasthan, achieved a perfect 300/300 in Session 1. Several other candidates also scored the same, and if additional perfect scorers are recorded in Session 2, multiple students will also hold Rank 1 under the percentile system.
Unlike traditional ranking systems, JEE Main uses percentile normalisation, which means candidates with identical top percentile scores are awarded the same rank. This makes ties at Rank 1 more likely, especially in years with multiple perfect scorers, a key differentiator in JEE compared to many other entrance exams.
JEE Main 2026 is expected to set a new participation record, continuing the upward trend seen in recent years.
Session 1 (January): 13.55 lakh registrations, 13.04 lakh appearances
Session 2 (April): 11.10 lakh registrations, 10.30 lakh appearances
The NTA has yet to release the total number of unique candidates. However, experts estimate that total participation could exceed 15 lakh, possibly surpassing the 2025 record of 15.39 lakh registrations and 14.75 lakh appearances. This increase illustrates the intensifying competition for engineering admissions in India.
Unique Candidates Formula
A technical methodology that affects candidate rankings, explaining how candidates are calculated, deserves more attention than it often receives.
Since most students appear in both sessions to improve scores, NTA avoids duplication by:
- Counting all candidates from Session 1
- Adding only those Session 2 candidates who did not appear earlier
This combined pool ultimately determines the final merit list and AIR, highlighting a lesser-known aspect that affects candidate outcomes.
Massive Exam Scale Across India And Abroad
The exam was conducted across 318 cities, including 14 international locations, through 566 centres, underlining the global reach of JEE Main.
This makes JEE Main one of the world’s largest entrance exams.
The percentile system used in JEE Main ensures fairness across multiple exam shifts with varying difficulty levels. Instead of comparing raw marks directly, the NTA calculates a candidate’s percentile score based on their relative performance within a session.
This is done by determining the percentage of candidates who scored equal to or less than a particular candidate. The formula considers the total number of candidates in a session and assigns each student a score of up to 100.
This normalisation process balances differences in question paper difficulty across shifts and ensures that rankings are calculated on a uniform basis.
What Happens Next
Once results are declared:
- Top candidates will move to JEE Advanced 2026.
- Others will participate in counselling for NITs, IIITs and GFTIs.
With tighter competition and evolving scoring dynamics, even marginal score differences could significantly impact college allocation this year.
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